January 16, 2024
Former St. Boniface Hospital patient Alex Fedorchuk learned that heart attacks don’t always look and feel like they do in movies.
In March of 2022, Fedorchuk felt like he couldn’t get a big breath in. He noticed that for the past little while, whenever he was in the shower, he struggled to breathe normally. He felt no pain, but did feel a heavy pressure across his chest. He knew something wasn’t quite right.
Thinking something was wrong with his lungs, his wife, Cheryl, drove him to Boundary Trails Hospital close to their home in Morden. The emergency department staff there did tests on his lungs and couldn’t find the problem. Ruling out one thing at a time, they determined it must be cardiac-related. Despite not having the classic chest-clutching pain often portrayed by Hollywood, tests confirmed that Fedorchuk was indeed having a heart attack.
He was transported by ambulance to St. Boniface Hospital, Manitoba’s cardiac centre of excellence. Fedorchuk recalled that the whole process was incredibly swift. The paramedics responsible for him made him feel comfortable during the journey. They were attentive, knowledgeable, and even joked around with him during the trip to ease his mind. “You expect their job to be hard, and it is, but they do it so well. I must make special mention of their attention and care,” said Fedorchuk.
Once he arrived at St. B’s cardiac catheterization lab, his care continued to be excellent. Fedorchuk commended the level of kindness he felt, remarking, “We came in so quickly from the ambulance and flew down the hallway. There was no delay. I felt pretty important!”
He fondly remembered that his anesthesiologist was a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, while Fedorchuk is a loyal fan of the rival Blue Bombers. “We joked about our teams, we talked – it was about as calm as it could be,” said Fedorchuk, laughing. The cardiac team placed a stent to re-open his blocked artery, and the next thing he knew, he was in his recovery bed.
Throughout his recovery, he commented on how upbeat the staff caring for him were. He recalled that the nurses openly expressed their contentment, saying they loved working at St. B. He was kept overnight to recover and be monitored. “Psychologically, the staff made it such a positive experience. Having that level of care really calms a person down. Everyone was so confident, and calm,” said Fedorchuk.
He was back at St. Boniface Hospital a few months later, requiring a second stent to be placed. He was treated quickly, improving blood flow to his heart, and giving him a third chance. The repeat experience was as positive as a heart attack story could be, and the compassion in his care still stands out to Fedorchuk. “It really felt like the best treatment. I haven’t got one bad thing to say about it.”